How to keep ducks?

Question

I'm interested in keeping ducks for eggs. What are the ups and downs of keeping ducks? do they absolutely need swimming water? Can they house with chickens? Will they fly away unless they are confined?

Thanks so much!

Answer 1

No they don't have to have swimming water alhough they LOVE it . and it is great for them

(it's not true what the other person answering  said about oil gland and over drive)

However if you are not going to give them a pond they must have water which is at least face deep (be able to put their whole head in )

Yes they can house with chickens although it is better not to . . as ducks are quite messy and will poo in the chickens water and try and swim in it . .  also if the drakes are very "randy" They will try and mate the hens :O but it's not a good idea . .  no chickens do not like having duck nibble at their feet while they are perched or being annoyed by them.

generally speakin MOST ducks will not fly away atcually they wont ever if they are happy (food water etc) most ducks can barely make 3 feet if that . . But muscovies are Good Fliers. .

some Ups of keeping ducks. .

*They are absolutely delighful to watch and you will get many many hours of watching them waddle about and up to their funny antics. . as i do myself;)

*also they will greatly keep the population of slugs . .  and worms down if allowed to free range.

*you will no loger have pay for eggs . .  they taste lovely!

*ducks make excellent mothers . . if they decide to hatch.=)

*and they are not to nosiy and their noises (i think ) are quite cute whether it's the ducks "quack" "quack" or the drakes soft wisper sound =)

downs of having ducks. .

there is only one in my opinion

*they are quite messy . .  so in the winter months (when it is wettest) They are confined to the run (which is very big)  to prevent them spreading mud and puddle eveywhere which they are brilliant at doing =( Lol

Otherwise No other down sides

have fun with the ducks. I love mine.

Oh If you want ducks purely for eggs

The best two breeds are the Khaiki Campbell ducks

and indian runner ducks =)

Answer 2

Ducks do not need a swimming area, they have an oil gland that coats their feathers and it goes into overdrive if they are on water so if you were to want to butcher a duck it is best if they are not on water.  We have kept Pekins and a few different types of "runner" ducks I don't think the domestic breeds will fly off on you, The pekins are good for meat and eggs and they get pretty large they will run and flap their wings but just barely come off the ground and don't even make it 3 feet.We did not try to house them together with chickens but they did free range the same area together and we never had any problem with that.  A duck house is very simple and small (kinda like a dog house)

The disadvantages are you don't want them in your yard area they p**p all the time and and it will get drug in the house. And they will play in their water and it always looks dirty.  The advantages can be a long list we had some that were really tame and would follow you every place and were not very vocal.  They do eat bugs and love to eat the grass after you mow. Some people let certian breed range in the garden (weeder ducks) we didn't have the right breed for that.  you can get dual pupouse birds that are both good layers and meat birds, and sell some of both to make a little extra money and the babies sell well at easter. The babies grow fast.  We got ducks several years back I wanted eggs for baking and my husband freaked out and wouldn't let me use them.  Older people stated that the duck eggs improve any baked goods (bread was the big one they mentioned)  for not knowing what we were doing at the time we got lucky with the breeds we got,  they all seem to be pretty hardy and we had no problem with illness, the mate like rabbits so you don't want to many "drakes" or you will have females with bald spots on the back of their necks and they will also do this to the least dominate male in the group.  Ours had great fertility rates but we only had one that would try to hatch them out.  with any bird you need to watch for preditors, neighbor dogs seem to be our biggest threat and they come at night. (ours had a puddle to play on, 10 ft.x12ft. and 30-36in deep) they would sleep in the middle of it and made it harder to get them.  If they have a pond area they will spend alot of time there then are very hard to catch if you need them.

Ducks are very easy keepers, I would raise them again, I would just keep them out of the area the kids play so their p**p doesn't end up in the house again and I don't think I would let them have the water area.  If you don't stay on top of their water dish (ours was a turtle sand box) and large rubber feed pans It can get gross fast they need to be dumped and rinsed offten.

I hope you give ducks a chance and get some, We housed guinea's (guinea's are meat eaters and will eat mice and other baby birds so if you would do that and want ducks to hatche out eggs I wouldn't keep then together) with ours and never found a tick or snake in the yard, and never thought the yard needed raked,(I hate the birds by the house but when they have had the full range of the yard we never even had a single ant get in the house.)